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Direct primary care, a health care model that allows clients unrestricted access to their medical team for the cost of a monthly or annual subscription fee, is gaining traction in many private practices. Proponents suggest that direct primary care offers a more affordable, convenient approach to health care that could be a solution to the projected physician shortage in the coming years.

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An analysis of data from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation showed that premenopausal women who underwent hysterectomy with or without ovary removal in midlife had similar changes in heart risk factors over time compared with those who went through natural menopause. The findings were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The Physician Alliance of Kansas, formed by 231 specialty and primary care doctors, is collaborating with Health Dimensions to submit an accountable care organization application to CMS. The alliance plans to leverage its ACO structure to offer coordinated care services to Medicare patients and deal directly with insurers and employers in the commercial market if CMS approves its application.

As alternative sweeteners gain traction in kitchens across America, their reputations sometimes outweigh the facts, registered dietitian Jennifer Sygo writes. Natural sweeteners xylitol, coconut palm sugar and agave nectar each have their benefits, but these benefits may be misunderstood and the drawbacks may be hidden, Sygo writes.

Malaria transmission could be reduced by mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia bacteria, say Michigan State University researchers. The bacteria hinders the insects' ability to carry the malaria parasite, lowering the chance of transmitting the agent to humans.

The AAFP said House Republicans don't do enough to bolster primary care in their draft proposal to eliminate the sustainable growth rate formula and reform Medicare's fee-for-service system. A letter to House GOP leaders from AAFP Board Chair Glen Stream, M.D., said while the Academy supports the overall direction of the plan, it should include a pay increase for family physicians, and needs to make permanent the primary care incentive payment and a Medicaid parity regulation from the health care reform law.